Automatic fire-escape.



L. T. HUNTER.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1914.

1,142,? 1 O. Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. fianzer IHE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LI1H0.. WASHINGTON. u. L.

L. T. HUNTER.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED MAY. 1914.

1 1 42,7 1 O. Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTG LITHDH WASHINGTON. Dv C.

' Wren.

LLOYD r. HUNTER, or noi-zonnsrnn, AssAonUsErTsnssmNoR or ONE-HALE 'ro 7 F. s. aonnson, or cAMrELLo, MAssAcI-IUsnrrs. I

. AUTOMATIC FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 8, 1915,

Application fiIed May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,773.

To all whom, it'may concern Be it known that I,'LL0YD TJHUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in automatic fire escapes, and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character which may be readily suspended adjacent to a window and which will include means forlowering a party or parties gradually to the ground beneath the window and at the same time wind a cable upon the rotary shaft, whereby another party or parties may be lowered to safety without the necessity of waiting to rewind'the first cable employed for lowering the first party or parties.

Another object is to provide a device of this character including means for regulating the speed of rotation of the shaft to which the cables are connected and adapted to wind or unwind, thereby assuring proper operation of the device.

A further object is to provide adevice of i this character in which will-be provided means for separating the cables and limiting movement of the same longitudinally of the shaft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be provided with means for engage ment around the body and limbs of a person to properly hold said person while being" lowered to safety. 7

This invention has for a still further object to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character and increase the efficiency thereof without increasing the cost of the same.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the folplet'e device, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section lowing "description and accompanying draw-' thereof, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 83 of Fig. 2,'Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. ,1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspectiveview of the harness removably secured upon the free end ofeach cable, and adapted for engagement around the body and limbs of a person.

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates thefcasing. through the opposite ends 2 of which extend the opposite ends of the rotatable shaft 3. which has its opposite extremity journaled in the bearing blocks l positioned outwardlyof the opposite ends 2 of the casing 1 and connectedv with the same by the connecting and supporting bracket arms 5, as clearly shown in the drawings. i

The casing 1 may be readily suspended from any suitablepoint adjacent a window or the like, by means of the suspension rods 6 having their lower ends connected with the bearing blocks 4, while their opposite ends are secured in the, rings 7 ada'ptedto be removably engaged upon a suitable supporting hook or the like, not shown.

In order that the speed of rotation of th shaft 3 may be readily regulated; I have provided a pair of longitudinally split sleeves 8 projecting from the outer faces of the opposite ends 2 ofthe casingl' and.

encircling the opposite ends ofthe shaft v3. said sleeves 8 being rigidly connected at their inner ends to the ends2 of the casing 1 and having threads 9 provided upon their outer faces which are tapered toward the" free ends of the sleeves, whereby the sleeves 8 may be caused to. grip the opposite ends of the shaft 3 by threading a hand-wheel 10 upon said sleeves toward the opposite ends of said casing 1. It will therefore be seen that the sleeves 8 and hand-wheel. 10

form brakes to regulate the speed of rotation trol the unwinding of one cable and the winding of the remaining cable 11. The cables 11 aresecured-to the shaft 3 adjacent the opposite ends of the casing 1 and within the latter by means of the Sub stantially U-shaped clamp members 12 which have their opposite ends connected by the bolts 13 with tightening nuts 14: positioned thereon, whereby said clamp members 12 may be securely clamped in position upon the shaft 3, each clamp member 12 being 7 provided with an upwardly directed eye 15 adjacent its central portion through which one end of the cable is threaded. The cable 11, on account of being secured upon the shaft 3 adjacent the opposite ends of the casing 1, will move toward the center of said casing as they are wound upon the shaft 3, and in order to keep the cables 11 in proper speed relation to prevent the free ends thereof from wrapping around one another, I have provided a central spacing disk 16 rigidly mounted upon the shaft 3, adjacent the center thereof. 1 have also provided a spacing disk 16 upon shaft 3, ad jacent the opposite ends of the casing 1 to limit movement of the cables 11 toward the ends of the casing 1. The casing 1 is also provided in its lower portion with a longitudinally extending slot 17 for each cable 11, said slot 17 preferably being in alinement.

It will be understood that when one cable 11 is wound upon the shaft 3, the remaining cable will be unwound from said shaft 3, thereby presenting a set of harness provided for holding a person upon the free end of the cable, adjacent the window or other exit by. which the device is positioned, as each cable is unwound from the shaft 3.

Each set of harness comprises a main strap 18, in the upper end of which is carried a ring 19 for removable engagement with the hook 20 carried in the lower end of. the cables 11, while a body encircling strap 21 is secured to the lower end of the main strap 18, said body encircling strap 21 having a buckle 22 mounted upon one end, whereby said strap 21 may be readily adjusted and secured around the waist of the person, while the lower limbs of the per son are engaged through the rings 23 mounted in the lower ends of the adjustable depending straps 24 slidably engaged upon thebody encircling strap 21 and adapted to be adjusted by means of the buckle 25. 1 have also provided arm encircling loops 26 projecting in opposite directions from the main strap 18 and also preferably formed of leather.

It will be understood that all of the straps of the harness are preferably formed of leather, but may be formed of any other suitable material, and as the body encircling strap 21 and the depending strap 24:, carrying the lower limb or leg encircling rings 23 are adjustable, the harness may be readily adjusted to securely hold the person using the device, upon the lower ends of the cable 11 to which the harness is attached, and the weight of the person will cause the cable to unwind from the shaft 3 and cause rotation of the same to wind the remaining cable 11 upon said shaft and present another set of harness suspended from the free end of said remaining cable.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 2- A fire escape including a casing, heads for said casing, arms extending downwardly and laterally from said head, longitudinally split sleeves extending outwardly from said head, a shaft extending through said casing and through the head and split sleeves, means for tightening the split sleeves upon said shaft, and suspending means connected with said arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LLOYD T. HUNTER.

Witnesses WM. S. FOWLER,

A. R. DERMODY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

